A/N: Just wanted to say a major thank you to everyone who left me a comment. The response to that last chapter was amazing! Totally blew me away, and I loved it!

I know some of you are pissed at Nathan for his attitude in the last chapter. I hope this chapter restores your love for him and helps you better understand why he was in such amood in the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. I had a little trouble ending it, but it's done and I've let go of the frustration. Also just another thank you to those who let me know the area's that needed a little help. I hope I was able to smooth that out.

Alright. Enough from me. Enjoy!

Part 26

(okay so let's pull an OTH original and even though the last chapter happened only minutes ago (took place in the early am), it's suddenly around 8, 8:30pm for this next installment)

"Not now Haley." Nathan voiced after playing dumb to Haley arrival and Peyton's departure. He was currently shooting basketball at the Rivercourt by himself while Haley approached him from behind.

"Well Peyton was my ride and she just left so…" Haley rebutted walking past Nathan to grab the basketball he had just shot from the top of the key.

"So you're walking home?" Nathan smirked before watching Haley take and hold the ball to herself, the smirk falling from his lips. "What are you doing Haley?"

"I'm sorry I took the drugs." Haley admitted softly as she approached Nathan to stand in front of him.

"No you're not." Nathan muttered, taking the ball from Haley's grip and shooting it in the basket.

"Yea I am. And who are you to judge me for that. You admitted to using weed before Nathan. Why is it when I mess up or trying something I get reprimanded for it?" Haley asked her voice calm yet angry as the orange ball bounced on the concrete behind her.

"I told you not now." He reminded her, walking past to retrieve the ball from the grass where it now lay.

"Why? Why not now?" Haley mocked with the last two words watching as he shot the basketball again before moving to sit on the bleachers.

"Hales." Nathan sighed knowing that he was trapped, she was his weak spot and she was playing just that role to get what she wanted.

"Tell me Nathan. Why is it that when I want to chase my dreams, when I try something to help me be happy, when I try something to be able to give you more, why do I get punished for it? Why does everyone else get away with a ton of more things than I do? Hell Billy's only getting 4 years in jail for what he did and yet I get stabbed with the sharp end of the stick." Haley rambled, stopping only when Nathan cut her off.

"Because you lied." Nathan blurted out. "You lied to me about Chris and then you lied to me about using the drugs."

"Nathan, I…"

"No Haley. I told you, I told you the night you came back that I couldn't trust you and you, I thought you understood that…"

"I did, I do Nathan." Haley promised, watching on bated breath as he continued, his voice an eerie calm.

"Then Billy happened and it was this huge reality check for me, for us and we were working on it. We were going to help you rise above what happened and then focus on us, you and me. And then last night happened and you lied to me over and over and it was so obvious you were lying yet you kept it up. And you got pissed at me cause I called you out on it. I want to be here for you Haley. I want to be able to comfort you and play the part of the concerned caring husband like I should be, but I can't do that. I can't be there for you to have you throw it all back in my face and lie to me, especially when that was the problem in the first place." Nathan ranted, finally letting it all out to the right person, leaving the two in a long silence.

"I'm sorry. And I love you. That's all I can say Nathan cause, I, I honestly don't remember everything about last night. At least not down to the specific dialogue and I hate this feeling. Not being able to remember what went on. But if you say that I lied to you and got mad at you then I believe you and I'm sorry. That's all I can offer, that and the promise to never do weed again, cause if it makes me lie to you and then become angry with you when you did nothing to deserve it, then I don't want to use it, regardless of the good and happiness it made me feel before that... I really am sorry Nathan." Haley promised with her whole heart, the old Haley showing through in her speech.

"Me too." Nathan sighed taking in his wife's words as he stared, confused, out across the water.

"Please don't let what happened last night affect our progress. I can't offer you a normal relationship right now, but when I am ready, I don't want to be ready with anyone else but you Nathan. I can't even begin to describe to you, how wrong it felt with Billy…and I'm not helping my case at all…" Haley trailed off.

"No, it's uh, it's good for you to talk about it." Nathan grimaced, he never wanted to hear the details about his wife with another guy but if it helped her to get better then he would sit through it.

"I know what you mean by that and I love you for it. But I'm not going to put you through that. I wouldn't want to hear about you with another girl, forced or not." Haley cringed at the thought.

"Thanks." Nathan smiled, stealing a glace at Haley who was intently watching the sun set behind the town across the water.

"So, where are we?" Haley asked unsteadily after the sun had disappeared behind the buildings.

"The river court." Nathan answered cockily.

"Ha ha. I meant us. You, me…this?"

"I don't know."

"Well, are we okay? Can I talk to you?"

"Yea we're okay. And you can always talk to me Haley, you know that." Nathan assured her with a questioning glance.

"Good." She replied shortly averting her gaze back to the water.

"Okay…so you talk to Brooke yet?" Nathan asked cautiously, not really wanting to change the subject but knowing it was done.

"No, I wanted to find you first. Plus Peyton was going to talk to her before me, let her know what exactly it is she's dealing with."

"What, pot?"

"Yeah, I never figured her to have used it but I'm sure she's been to parties where it was being passed around but I guess she doesn't really know too much about it. Peyton was going to fill her in on the facts so this morning doesn't happen again." Haley explained further.

"What did Brooke mean earlier when she said for you to go with Peyton because she'd know what she was dealing with? For as long as I've known her I don't think she ever used pot." Nathan inquired, recalling the earlier conversation.

"Um, that's not really my secret to tell Nathan. It's just…something she's not proud of, but it's in the past and it's been dealt with. No worries."

"But there is something to tell, something I missed?"

"It was last year. If you want to know you should ask her, it's not my place to tell anyone and that includes you."

"Alright, I get it. You wanna head home?" Nathan asked, dropping the previous topic but making a mental note to ask Peyton about it.

"No. But I should. Go apologize to Brooke, make sure I have somewhere to sleep tonight." Haley groaned.

"C'mon I'll drive you." Nathan laughed, standing up before offering his hand to Haley.

"Thank you." Haley smiled whole heartedly, accepting his hand as they walked together to the car.

XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX

"Oh, hey Lucas." Haley greeted as she entered the apartment to find Lucas sitting on one of the couches by himself.

"Heyy. Everything okay between you and Nathan now?" Lucas asked clicking the television off to better hear his friend.

"Yea, how'd you know that's where I just came from?" Haley asked only to find her answer coming from the bathroom.

"I am so sorry room mate. You were right, I had no clue what I was talking about." Brooke apologized the second she saw Haley in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry too, I know you were just trying to help and I really appreciate it." Haley returned to which Brooke drew her into a hug. "So we okay?"

"Definitely. I'm here for you for whatever you need." Brooke promised, both girls still in the embrace, ignoring the knocking that Lucas answered the door to.

"Sweeet." Tim's voice sounded from the doorway.

"What are you doing here Dim?" Brooke asked annoyed as she and Haley pulled apart to glare at Tim.

"Tim!" Lucas called when he didn't answer.

"What?" Tim asked after breaking out of his daze with a tell-tale grin on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked again.

"Lookin' for Nate." Tim answered nonchalantly.

"He hasn't lived here for months Dim." Brooke scowled.

"Duh Brooke. He wasn't home so I figured he'd probably be here." Tim explained.

"Sorry Tim. You just missed him. He dropped me off a few minutes ago." Haley told him sincerely.

"Thank you Haley. Why does everyone else have to be so bitchy to the Tim?" Tim wondered aloud.

"Because you call yourself 'the Tim', you're perverted, you…" Brooke began listing off the things that annoyed her where Tim was involved.

"Yo, Nate man. Where you at?" Tim asked through his phone as he ignored Brooke and left the apartment.

"What just happened?" Brooke asked in shock.

"I think Dim just gave you the brush off." Haley smirked.

"Oh no. No, he does not get to do that." Brooke huffed and followed Tim out of the apartment.

"How you doing Hales?" Lucas asked as he turned around from the door to face his longest friend who remained behind the island.

"Fine."

"Wow, cryptic. Very nice Hales." Lucas teased.

"Dealing with Nathan and Brooke today has kept my mind off of everything, so right now I'm okay. I can't guarantee I'll be feeling like this in a couple hours but for right now I'd like to focus on other, happier things." Haley clarified as Brooke rejoined the pair.

"Happier things, like say joining us at the café?" Brooke suggested.

"I was thinking more along the lines of homework and studying for finals."

"Ew, don't remind me." Brooke whined.

"You guys cans go ahead without me, I'll be fine here." Haley insisted.

"Well we won't be too long, it's already getting late. Just call us or Nate if you need anything." Lucas told her on his way out.

"What to start with." Haley thought aloud to herself after double locking the door behind Lucas and Brooke.

With the silence of the apartment creeping her out Haley popped one of her mixed cd's into Brooke's player and let music fill the apartment. She was content with homework and music for half an hour when the solitude began to affect her.

Hearing a bang outside the apartment Haley grabbed the pepper spray that her and Brooke had bought a few months earlier. Hearing another noise she let out a scared whimper and made for the phone, dialing the ever familiar number.

"Nathan…" Haley whispered into the phone.

"Don't move." Was his only reply before she heard the dial tone again.

The fact that Nathan was on his way calmed Haley's nerves a little. That was until she heard voices pass the door.

"It's just passing neighbors." Haley whispered to herself while trying to regulate her breathing.

"Haley?" Nathan's voice boomed from the other side of the apartment door before it opened only to be caught by the chain lock. "Hales? It's Nathan. No one else is out here."

"I'm sorry. I was just being stupid." Haley apologized as she disengaged the chain and let Nathan in, who immediately embrace her.

"You're not stupid Hales. I'm glad you called." He assured, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"You got here really fast. I didn't think it was humanly possible for someone to get from your house to here in…" Haley removed herself from the embrace to check the clock, "4 minutes."

"The streets were empty and the lights were all green." Nathan explained.

"And the speed limit was long forgotten." Haley finished for him. "Thank you."

"So what was it?"

"Me, being paranoid…I heard banging outside and freaked."

"I'm going to go check okay?"

"No!..I mean, I just…I'm coming with you." Haley stumbled, not wanting to be left alone.

"You sure?" Nathan asked concerned for Haley's well being.

"Yea, I'll get the flashlight."

"Okay, stay close." Nathan told her after Haley produced the flashlight and the two started outside the apartment.

Rounding the corner Haley grasped Nathan's arm as they were met with a loud bang which matched the noises Haley had been hearing.

"It's coming from over there." Haley whispered, still clinging to Nathan's arm.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Lucas' voice sounded suddenly behind the two to which Haley whimpered and all but jumped into Nathan's arms.

"Jesus Luke!" Nathan cursed before trying to calm down a shaking Haley.

"Why are you two out here, with a flashlight?" Lucas asked again.

"Something's banging around the apartment and it freaked her out, so now we're going to check out what it is." Nathan explained.

"Friggen jerk." Haley muttered and hit Lucas on the chest.

"Ow. I didn't know!" Lucas defended himself. "Why don't you go inside where Brooke is and Nate and I will check it out."

"You're still a jerk. But I'll see you guys inside. If you're not back in 5 minutes I'm calling the cops." Haley promised, hugging both Nathan then Lucas before heading inside.

"So you think some one's out here?" Lucas asked as he followed behind Nathan, who was now striding towards the back of the complex with confidence.

"I think it's just the wind knocking that tree branch against the wall." Nathan explained before coming to stop at the end of the porch and looking over the railing. "And that's exactly what it is."

"So what. You let Haley believe that you actually thought there was a person out here?"

"No. We came out here not knowing what to expect but I heard the noise that scared her and knew what it was after that, but I still checked it out so she could sleep tonight knowing that it was for sure a tree branch." Nathan explained as both boys made their way back to the apartment, promising the girls that they'd have the branch removed tomorrow morning.